


Baked Love

by elletromil



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Civilians, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-04-30 22:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5181968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/pseuds/elletromil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were no other customers, but he didn’t think he was wrong in assuming it had more to do with the hour, after lunch but before the afternoon rush, and the awful weather, than anything wrong with the shop. For one thing, the interior was decorated really simply, but with enough nice touches to make it feel cozy. For another, the smell permeating the air, a mix of baked goods and coffee, was quite mouth-watering. The gorgeous young man walking out of the backroom with a polite but genuine smile wasn’t a slight against the shop either.</p><p>Or in which Harry is really a tailor and Eggsy works in a bakery shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Baked Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Regency](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regency/gifts).



> For this prompt:
> 
> Eggsy and Harry meet in a bakery because (at least) one of them works there. Their chemistry is instant but neither is sure the other feels the same, so they shyly begin wooing each other with baked goods. Can be a partial AU (as in one of them is still a spy) or a complete AU with both as civilians. The fluffier, the better. Details can be fudged as needed so long as the central idea remains the same: Hartwin + romance + baked goods = <3
> 
> I feel like there wasn't enough baked goods in the end and I am sorry... At least I think I got the romance part right?

Harry Hart entered the little coffee shop slash bakery partly to escape the rain and partly because he really needed any kind of caffeine right now. He had seen the shop often during his daily walks around the neighborhood on his lunch break, but it was the first time he walked in.

There were no other customers, but he didn’t think he was wrong in assuming it had more to do with the hour, after lunch but before the afternoon rush, and the awful weather, than anything wrong with the shop. For one thing, the interior was decorated really simply, but with enough nice touches to make it feel cozy. For another, the smell permeating the air, a mix of baked goods and coffee, was quite mouth-watering.

The gorgeous young man walking out of the backroom with a polite but genuine smile wasn’t a slight against the shop either.

Harry smiled back and took a moment to look over the selection that was displayed in the case. It was quite diverse and all seemed good beyond measure, but Harry finally elected against any. He didn’t mind indulging himself, but in his state of mind, he would end up ordering one of each. He might have more or less given up on keeping a close watch on his diet, but that didn’t mean he would fall into excess. At his age, excess could really well mean any numbers of medical complications he prefered to do without.

So instead he merely ordered a cup of Earl Grey. While coffee would have been great, he was already far too keyed up from Chester King’s horrendous fitting. A warm nice cuppa would do perfectly to relax him.

“Be ready in a minute bruv. You want it for here or to go?”

A look through the windows revealed the rain hadn't let up yet, so Harry decided on not going back to the shop yet. He had been supposed to only take a short break, but he did not think Percival and Andrew would get too angry at him for taking longer. He had taken a bullet for them by agreeing to do Chester’s fitting.

He sat at one of the tables nearest the windows, losing himself in the contemplation of the falling drops of water, trying to find his center again and forget about his last hour of work. He startled a bit when a steaming cup was set in front of him, quickly followed with a plate of what looked like blueberry scones.

“I only just ordered the tea,” he said to the young man with a bit of confusion.

“Yeah, I know bruv, but you look like you need it.” The warm smile made it clear it shouldn’t be taken as an insult to how he looked but more as a kindness. “You seem like someone who’s had one of those days, you know?”

“Not really a day, more like an hour. I came this close to killing a customer of mine with needles.”

The young man, Eggsy he found out when he finally made himself look at his nametag, chuckled and seemed to be on the verge of asking more details but seemed to remember his professionalism at the last second.

“Must have been a right prick…” Maybe not so much professionalism as having the decency not to pry. “Anyway, scones are on the house.”

“Oh, that he was…” He chuckled before inclining his head in gratitude. “Thank you for the scones, Eggsy.”

The young man seemed surprised, until a pleased smile spread on his lips when he realised Harry must have taken notice of his nametag.

“Don’t mention it.”

Harry was left alone after that, Eggsy returning in the backroom, and even though he would not have minded the company, he was grateful once he took his first bite and nearly moaned out loud. These scones were truly incredible, the flavor in his mouth subtle yet unmistakable.

He was glad to know he would not have to think of a bogus pretext to come back to this bakery and charming young man, but he would still have liked some kind of warning that the scones had probably been made with some divine intervention.

***

Harry was back at the bakery the very next day on his lunch break, fully intending on getting more of the amazing scones and hopefully winning himself a warm smile from Eggsy. It might be silly to still think of the young man when they had barely had any interaction the previous day, but Harry knew it never took much for him to get smitten.

The shop was a lot busier on lunch hour than it had been mid-afternoon, all the tables occupied and a perpetual line of people waiting to give their order at the cash.

“Hey! It’s you again!” Eggsy smiled at Harry when his turn came up.

“Yes, I found myself unable to stay away from your delicious scones.” Eggsy’s smile fell and Harry wondered if maybe he was disappointed that Harry had just come back for the baked goods. He was about to set the young man right when Eggsy started apologizing.

“I am so sorry. I literally just sold the last one! There are gonna be more in like fifteen minutes if you can wait though?”

“Ah. No, I unfortunately cannot stay today. Well, what do you suggest I take instead?” He wasn’t sure, but he thought Eggsy seemed even more disappointed when Harry mentioned he couldn’t stay. But the expression was soon chased by one beaming smile when he asked for his opinion.

“Oh, well how do you feel about _chocolatine_? They’re like just out of the oven, they’ll legit melt in your mouth, I swear.”

“I think one would go splendidly with a latte.” They shared a smile until the person directly behind Harry purposefully cleared his throat, reminding Eggsy that he actually had more customers than just Harry.

“Right,” Eggsy himself cleared his throat in embarrassment, his cheeks tinging an adorable pink. “Your name?” He asked waving a paper cup in his direction.

Harry didn’t know if the _chocolatine_ would as good as the scones, but he felt his trip to the bakery was well worth watching Eggsy repeat his name under his breath as he scribbled it on the cup, rolling it over his tongue like he was savoring one of the many pastries on display.

~

The _chocolatine_ did melt in his mouth, flaky dough perfectly balancing the rich chocolate filling its center, and he might have moaned a bit louder than what was truly appropriate once he made it back to Kingsman.

***

It became a habit to go at the bakery at least twice a week.

On Monday mornings, he would actually get out of bed early so he would have time to sit down and enjoy one cup of tea, made to perfection, with scones that still left him nearly moaning at each bite. When he was lucky, Eggsy would come by his table for a bit of conversation and to wish him a good week.

Then, on Saturday afternoons, he would delay his return home and go to the bakery for a latte and whatever Eggsy would suggest he try. So far, the young man’s taste had been impeccable.

There were also all those time he would reward himself for not having killed a “right prick of a client,” Eggsy’s words not his, with a pastry and decent company. Not that his colleagues weren’t decent company, but concerning clients they tended toward an attitude of _better you than me_ , while Eggsy was only sympathetic and regaled him with stories of his own less than savory customers.

***

“So who’s the lucky man?”

In that semi-lethargic state of mind he found himself in every time he shared a nightcap with Merlin when he stayed for dinner at his friend’s, it took him far too long to understand what was being asked.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” was still his only reply, because he really didn’t want to have that conversation now. Or ever really.

“Come on Harry, you’re positively glowing. You’re not yet chirpy, so I guess you’re still just courting whoever caught your eye and not yet shagging, but I know you. Just because it’s been years since you last had a lover doesn’t mean I don’t remember the signs.” Merlin had turned towards him, eyebrows raised.

He sighed in lieu of answering. Merlin wasn’t wrong per se, Eggsy had in fact positively charmed him beyond measure, but Harry was still unsure if his interest was truly returned.

It was one thing for Eggsy to flirt with a customer and another for the young man to flirt with someone with intent. So far, nothing would indicate that Harry was anything more than a regular, thought of with some fondness.

Oh, he had received his fair share of cheeky winks (the first had been when he had asked for the blueberry scones recipe and Eggsy had replied it was a secret and he would just have to keep coming back), beaming smiles (every time Harry praised a pastry) and warm pats on the shoulder (on not so great days, when Harry was still pissed from a fitting). But that could very well be how Eggsy acted with all his friends.

When Merlin saw that Harry would stay tight-lipped on the subject, he only shook his head in amusement. “Suit yourself. But you can’t keep him hidden away forever.”

Maybe not, but he’d certainly try.

*

Harry’s reprieve from Merlin’s nosiness lasted exactly a day.

The weather had gotten decidedly colder with winter fast approaching and thus Harry had found it was becoming incredibly hard to get up in the mornings. No one at the shop would actually be surprised if he came in late, as he had never arrived on time in his 20 years as a tailor, but today being a Monday, his inability to get out of his bed meant he would unfortunately have to do without his chat with Eggsy and just get everything to go.

When he got to the bakery and Eggsy spotted him, he spied something akin to relief on his face before he grinned at him in greeting.

“Oi Harry! Thought you had forgotten about me or something.” He gave Harry one of his damn winks and Harry could not have suppressed his amused chuckle if he had wanted to.

“I could never, dear boy,” he smiled when a pleased blush spread on Eggsy’s cheeks, “you’re actually the reason I managed to get out of bed. I wouldn’t want to miss out on the scones.” He got the distinct impression Eggsy would have playfully shoved him for that last part if not for the counter between them.

“You want it to go or do you have some time to spare?”

“I unfortunately have a fitting in half an hour,” he apologized, but even if there was disappointment in the young man’s eyes, he was still smiling brightly as he prepared Harry’s tea.

For some reason, Eggsy scribbled his name on the paper cup even though he was the only one in line, but Harry was far more interested in the fact that he was offered a bag of scones even though there were none left in the display.

“Have a good one Harry!”

“You too Eggsy.”

It was only when he got to the shop that he realised Eggsy had written more than just his name on the cup. Or rather when Merlin started cackling delightfully.

“Really Harry? A barista?”

He would have denied it, but the heart besides his name was rather telling.

*

After that, not only would Eggsy draw a heart on his cup without fail, but he also started leaving notes on the napkins he gave Harry with his pastry.

It wasn’t much, merely a “Have a good day” or “I hope you enjoy the cake” or again “Don’t stab anyone in the eye with a needle”, but it was enough to make him smile. The fact that Eggsy had started signing each note with the face of a pug after they had found out about their shared love for canine companions was only endearing him more to Harry.

Soon he had quite the collection of notes in his locked drawer at the shop. It was tempting fate to keep them, because he knew he would hear no end to Merlin’s teasing if his friend found out about what was definitely not love notes, but he was reluctant to throw them away.

***

It was a rather cold Sunday afternoon, so much so that there was barely anyone on the streets despite it being so close to Christmas. Harry was far from unhappy by this state of things, not minding that he could see his breath condensing and that his glasses would fogged for a few minutes every time he got inside a shop. He was dressed warmly enough in his newly bought winter coat (he was getting older and his regular visits at the bakery weren’t exactly helping him keep his line, but he was still in perfect health and didn’t want to deprive himself of good pastries and warm smiles), hand-knitted scarf (James might be a little shit on his best days, but Harry had to hand it to him that he was better at knitting than his own Nana had been) and leather gloves (sometimes he wondered why he was still friends with Merlin, until he remembered that the man was excellent at gifts).

However, warmly dressed or not, Harry was still hurrying down the streets, a bit more absent-mindedly than he should have been, and so it wasn’t really a surprise when he quite roughly bumped into someone. His reflexes were good enough that he managed to catch the unfortunate passerby by the arm before he could fall on the ground, but it resulted in them being more or less hugging in the street, the stranger’s hands coming up to cling to the lapels of his coat.

“I’m sorry, are you alright?” He asked before he really looked at the other man, but when he did and saw those familiar blue-green eyes so close, his breath caught in his chest.

“Yea- Oh Harry!” Shock morphed into delighted surprised on the young man’s face when he recognize who he had collided with. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t looking where I-”

Harry shook his head, before Eggsy could apologize further. “No, no, I was the one paying no attention to my surroundings.” He could see Eggsy opening his mouth to protest, but one look at Harry’s expression made him give up and chuckle softly.

“Okay, fine. But yeah, I’m alright thanks to you. Who knew a tailor would have such quick reflexes?” The gentle teasing made them realised they were still more or less hugging, closer together than they had ever been before. This close, Harry could see Eggsy’s cheek getting a bit redder as he let his hands fall down slowly to his sides, but a gentle smile spread on his lips once he realised Harry was reluctant of letting his arm go and didn’t seem about to take a step back.

He only let go when another passerby cleared his throat in annoyance and they realised they were blocking most of the sidewalk. Harry offered the stranger a sheepish smile before stepping closer to the walls of the shop, smiling when Eggsy followed him. There was a bit more distance between them now, but it only made it easier for Harry to look at the young man.

“Late Christmas shopping?” Eggsy asked with a glance in direction of the plastic bag Harry had managed to keep a hold of during their collision. “I’ve taken so many shifts this months I haven’t done any either,” he added after Harry nodded, “mind if I tag along?”

“Not at all, my dear.” Harry didn’t think he had ever seen a more beautiful smile on Eggsy’s lips than the moment he offered him his arm, and the red spreading on both their cheeks after Eggsy took it could not be attributed to the weather.

~

The shopping had gone quicker than Harry had expected, or maybe it was because he had been in such good company.

The conversation had flowed easily between them and if Eggsy didn’t exactly know what he wanted to buy, he still wouldn’t linger more time than was necessary. If nothing had caught his eye, than that was it, they would go to another shop.

Now a few hours later and their wallets a few pounds lighter, Harry found he he felt rather disinclined to part with the young man, not when a task he had always dreaded had been so much fun just because he had been at his side.

“It might not compare to what you sell at the shop, but if you want to warm up with tea, I have some fruit cake waiting at home,” he finally found the courage to offer as they left the last shop.

Eggsy’s face fell at the invitation and Harry feared he had crossed a line right until he recognize the young man’s expression for one of disappointment.

“I would really love to, but I promised my mum I would look after my little sister so she could do some Christmas shopping of her own… Raincheck?”

The way he was lightly biting his lower lip was only good at drawing Harry’s look to his mouth and reminding him just how much he had wanted to kiss him since he met him.

“When is your next free night? We could make a proper dinner out of it.”

Eggsy stammered a bit in answer, clearly not expecting another invitation so soon, but managed to suggest Wednesday.

“That’s a date then.” He smiled at Eggsy’s shy look of delight before taking his arm again. “Let me walk you home.”

That time, no words were exchange between them, but when Harry noticed that Eggsy did not have any gloves of his own and that he had no choice but have one of his hand out of his pocket to hold onto his packages, he removed one of his own and offered it to his companion.

Eggsy shook his head in refusal, but Harry would not be denied and once the hand was safely inside the leather, he took the gloveless one into his own, their fingers entwining as if of their own accord.

Cheeks red once again, they barely looked at each other, but Eggsy took advantage of his grip to tug Harry closer to him, his head sometimes resting against his shoulder for the briefest of moments.

They got to Eggsy’s mum’s flat far too soon, but Harry at least had the memory of soft lips gently pressing against his cheek to hold onto until their date.

***

The time until Wednesday passed in a blur for Harry. After confirming with Eggsy on Monday morning that the dinner was still on (and trying to determine if he prefered Eggsy's flirty smile when he winked or the shy curve of his lips when he was blushing), all that had been on his mind had been the menu he would cook for their date. So much so that even when Chester King’s nephew Charlie had come in for a fitting he had barely heard any of whatever classist nonsense he was sure to babble on every time he had a captive audience. Oh, he had made sure to prick him a couple of times with his needles, because Charlie did not have yet his uncle’s assurance and could still be fooled by his falsely apologetic smile, but it had merely been an automatism, some muscle-memory triggered by the higher class’ stupidity.

No, in reality, his thoughts had been turned on whether or not Eggsy would consider _canard à l’orange_ as being overboard for a first date meal. He was tempted to ask Merlin, but not only would his friend be insufferable for months after that (“ _So it was the barista_ ”) but as he didn’t know Eggsy, he wouldn’t be able to offer any good insight.

It was a bit nerve-wracking to be honest. Harry knew he was often too much for his partners, that he would always go the extra unnecessary mile to show how much he cared. Not that he had ever thought it unnecessary, but his past lovers had always faulted that trait during the inevitable break-up. They talked as if love was a competition and they just couldn’t win against Harry. They did not understand that the only thing he had ever wanted in return was their happiness. Which was why he never made a fuss when they left, even if he was always left heartbroken.

He shook himself out of his gloomy mood before he started believing that whatever relationship developing between him and Eggsy was already doomed. So far, the young man hadn’t been averse to anything and had been the one to take the first steps, which bode well for their future.

He finally decided to go with his first idea. At least that way, he would know straight away if what he thought they had was real.

*

Harry just finished setting the table when his doorbell rang. He made his way to the front door quickly, but not without glancing in the mirror to make sure his appearance was still impeccable. They might be far past first impression, but it wouldn’t do for his hair to be out of place for a first date.

It turned out to be the right call, because once the door opened to reveal Eggsy standing on the other side, the first thing Harry noticed was the gelled hair. It was different from Eggsy usual style, but it also made Harry want to mess it up.

He resisted the temptation, barely, ushering him inside into the warmth of his home. It was only when he took the coat from Eggsy’s hands to hang it that he noticed the young man had still gone gloveless. While it was confirmation that the gift he planned on offering Eggsy for Christmas would probably be well received, it also meant that his hands were freezing.

Once the coat was taken care of, Harry turned back to Eggsy and took his hands in his, gently rubbing the skin to get the circulation going again. They stayed like that for longer than was truly necessary, until the timer in the kitchen went off, forcing Harry to let go, but not before pressing a quick kiss to each palms.

He led Eggsy to the table and told him to sit, refusing any offer to help. Except for the food, everything was already set and he smiled when he noticed Eggsy taking everything in with a delighted and excited gleam in his eyes, not trying for a second to hide his own smile.

~

Dinner was, put simply, a success.

Eggsy only had praise for the food and the conversation was as easy as it had always been between them.

When Harry stood up to clean the dishes before dessert, Eggsy ignored his protests and followed him with the dirty plates, refusing to surrender the dishcloth.

“Come on Harry. I’m being entirely selfish here, if I help you it’s only so we can get to the cake faster.” He playfully whip Harry’s backside with the cloth, the older man retaliating by bumping their hips together.

They wasted some more minutes shoving each other gently like teenagers and giggling like children, before calling out a truce sealed by the press of Eggsy’s lips on his cheek.

However, even with Eggsy helping out, it took far longer to put everything away than if Harry had took care of it alone given Eggsy propensity to lean into Harry’s side when he had nothing to dry, nuzzling his neck with a contented sigh. More than once Harry abandoned the dirty dishes in the sink to wrap an arm against the young man’s waist and to press light kisses on top his head.

Nevertheless, even with all the delay, they finally made it back to the table and Eggsy gasped when he finally saw the cake.

“Is that… Is that a _Bûche de Noël_?” The pronunciation was a bit mangled, but the French words still twisted Harry’s insides in a familiar stirring.

“Yes, I thought it would be fitting the season,” he answered instead of pondering on his newfound language kink. He had a feeling he would discover many more in Eggsy’s company. “It was my grandmother's recipe.”

He smiled, remembering fondly past Christmases where he would help his Nana in the kitchen instead of playing outside in the snow. His cousins had teased him mercilessly for it, but he had paid it no mind. What his cousins had never understood was that helping Nana cook meant tasting everything.

“ _That’s the only way to know if something is good. If you cannot stop yourself from another bite._ ” He could remember her saying with a twinkle in her eyes as she would dip her finger for a third time in whatever sauce she was stirring.

He shook himself out of his memories to Eggsy’s soft smile, as if he knew exactly where Harry had lost himself or at least like he had a general idea.

“I’m happy you decided to share with me then.” At that, Harry looked down at his own piece instead of watching Eggsy eat his first bite. He knew the cake was good, in fact it was the only cake he ever managed to not completely ruin (he liked believing his Nana possessed him when he was making a _Bûche_ so that he would not bring shame the family recipe), but Eggsy worked in a bakery and his dream was to open his own one day. He would probably find his attempt amateurish at best, but pretend otherwise to spare his feelings.

Or so he thought until he heard a nearly pornographic moan coming from the other side of the table. He looked up to see Eggsy with his lips still wrapped around his fork, his eyes closed, an expression of pure ecstasy painted on his face.

Then, before Harry could processed what happened, he found himself with a lapful of Eggsy, the man enthusiastically kissing him fully on the lips, the sweet taste of chocolate bursting on his tongue as Eggsy coaxed him into opening his mouth to him. After recovering from his slight shock at being snogged within an inch of his life, he started returning the kiss, wrapping his arms around Eggsy to bring him closer still.

They only stopped kissing when the chair nearly tipped over when Eggsy pressed against Harry a bit too keenly, but they still stayed close enough that their lips brushed together at each intake of breath.

“What do you say we adjourn this to the bedroom?” He asked, his eyes riveted on lips red from fervent kissing.

“I don’t usually put out on the first date,” however, before Harry could think of apologizing, Eggsy continued with a grin, “but I might be convinced if we were to bring the cake with us.”

 

Once Eggsy started lightly biting along his jaw, Harry decided that his personal rule of _no food in bed_ could very well fuck itself while he would be busy fucking that adorable young man.


End file.
